User Documentation for Developer Platform

When I started working on the developer documentation at Ascend.io, my first move was to dig into what was already there. I needed to figure out what worked, what didn’t, and where the gaps were. This wasn’t just about skimming through pages; it meant getting into the weeds—checking structure, completeness, and whether the content even made sense for the product as it grew.

To spot the missing pieces, I talked to the people who knew the users best: developers, the product manager, and customer support teams. They helped me uncover the most common questions and pain points. I also paid attention to feedback from support tickets, forums, and surveys. That gave me a solid idea of what users were struggling with and where updates would have the biggest impact. On top of that, I looked at how easy (or not) it was for users to navigate the docs. Could they find what they needed without having to work for it?

Once I had a handle on what needed fixing, it was time to make the documentation easier to use. I wanted developers to find answers fast, whether they were just getting started or diving into advanced features. To make that happen, I restructured everything to follow the natural flow of the user onboarding and learning process.

I broke the content into clear, modular sections like “Getting Started” and “Connections.” Within those sections, I kept the layout consistent—headings, subheadings, and formatting all worked together to guide the reader. I also set up tags and revamped the table of contents to make searching simpler. Hyperlinks helped connect related topics, so users didn’t have to jump back and forth endlessly. These tweaks made the documentation feel less overwhelming and more like a helpful roadmap.

With the structure in place, I turned my attention to the words themselves. It’s not just about what you say but how you say it. The tone needed to be professional but not stiff—clear enough for a first-time user but detailed enough for an experienced developer. I developed a style guide to keep things consistent. It covered everything from how to format code snippets to avoiding overly technical jargon (unless absolutely necessary).

SEO was another big focus. I researched keywords that developers might use when searching for help and worked them into headings, subheadings, and the main content. I also optimized metadata like page titles and descriptions. These changes made the docs more searchable, helping users get answers faster and reducing reliance on support teams.

Keeping documentation fresh is a team effort, so I set up a system that made adding and updating content seamless. I created templates with sections for prerequisites, step-by-step instructions, and troubleshooting. These templates made it easy to produce new content quickly without sacrificing quality.

To integrate documentation into the development cycle, I worked closely with the team during Agile sprints. We added documentation tasks to the workflow, making sure new features had the content to match. Peer reviews became a standard part of the process, ensuring everything was accurate and polished before going live.

Redesigning Ascend.io’s developer documentation wasn’t just about making the content better—it was about empowering users and setting the stage for long-term success.

By focusing on user needs, creating a scalable structure, and implementing processes that keep the documentation dynamic and relevant, I left behind a resource that will continue to support developers as they navigate the platform.